Letter to the Editor: Travel plans and market trips

I read with great interest the article regarding pricing, recession, and travel plans by retailers.

See article:  Having raised prices, retailers now review travel plans as economic uncertainties rise

While we have not asked retailers about price hikes and inventory we have received feedback from them after June Markets about their travel plans and market trips.

What to buy, when to buy it, how long to spend at shows, and how to navigate the shows are factors that dominate their decision making. Naturally, our planning for 2023 and beyond is taking much of this into account. The timing of shows, the travel costs, the buyer experience, and what to showcase are elements we are thinking through with careful attention.

I was having a conversation over the weekend (during our Men’s Show) with a member of our Retail Development team who was in contact with an Oregon retailer last week. She’s planning on coming to our August Apparel & Accessories Market in a single trip versus multiple trips this summer to a Gift show and an Apparel show in other cities.

She’s coming to Dallas because she can survey multiple categories, see what’s new, and then buy apparel and gift in a single trip with a lower cost of travel for her team.  She proudly did her homework and has created a plan based upon access to Gift showrooms during our Apparel show.

Cole Daugherty, SVP Exhibitor Marketing, Dallas Market Center